Part 21
Morehead Hotel Morehead City, NC 2325 Local
Kate glanced up from her laptop, "The Congresswoman has an office in downtown Beaufort, no mention of a residence but that's not surprising." She looked back over at Mac, "So you think she's decided to lend a hand to our investigation?"
Mac shrugged uncomfortably, "I don't really know. She did predict that we'd have problems with the local PDs and she did offer to smooth the way but I told her not to bother." She absently rubbed her forehead where a headache was beginning to form, and then raised her hands, "I wouldn't put it past her. She rarely takes no for an answer if she really wants something. ...Dammit, I should have seen this coming."
Gunny and Kate exchanged glances. He looked at his watch and stood up, "Well, there's not much more we can do tonight and I owe my wife a phone call. What time shall I call on you ladies?"
Kate stifled a yawn, "I don't know... around 8 or so?" She looked over at Mac, "We can figure out where to go from here over breakfast. I think a visit to the Congresswoman is definitely in order." Dubby nodded, said good night and headed out the door. Kate got up and rummaged through her overnight bag. She pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen and lobbed it at Mac, "Take some and go to bed."
"Excuse me?" Mac caught the bottle and scowled.
"You heard me," Kate started gathering papers and putting them in her briefcase. She looked up at Mac and raised an eyebrow, "Don't deny you've got a headache. You get that crease between your eyebrows. Look, it's been a long day. I'm exhausted and I know I've had more sleep than you. Go to bed and we'll get a fresh start in the morning." She straightened up and put her hands on her hips, "Unless, of course, you lined up a hot date while you were out and about. If that's the case, then the guy better damn well have a friend." She closed her briefcase and looked up again, "A good-looking, well-to-do friend... with a yacht... and a New York penthouse... and a villa in France."
Mac folded her arms and tried not to grin, "Damn, I picked the wrong guy."
"Been there, done that," Kate headed for the bathroom, "I'm going to take a shower. You need to get in there?"
"No," Mac shook her head, "I have to call Harm yet. He's probably already asleep but I can leave a message." Kate nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Mac picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. As she expected, the answering machine picked up, "Hey Harm, it's me. Sorry I called so late but it's been a bit busy." She paused for a moment, "You'll never guess who turned up at the hotel... or maybe you will. Dubby's sticking to his fishing story and if this was your idea, Mister... then I owe you a thank you. Talk to you tomorrow. Good night."
Super 8 Goldsboro, NC 0135 Local
Harm came out of the office and got back in the car. He looked over at Gibbs, "A double on the first floor. It's around back." The NCIS agent nodded wordlessly. Harm wasn't surprised, he'd barely gotten two words out of the man in the last hour or so. At least he was still conscious. The last thing Harm wanted to do was to have to try and find a hospital in an unfamiliar town. He backed out of the space and cruised slowly around the building until he located the room number. Fortunately, the motel wasn't crowded and he was able to park right in front. Getting out, he grabbed their bags from the back and headed to the room. Unlocking the door, he tossed the bags on a bed and turned on the lights.
Going back to the doorway, Harm looked out to see how Gibbs was doing. He hadn't offered to help the agent initially for the simple reason that he didn't feel like having his head bitten off. On the other hand, the sooner he could get Gibbs into a bed, the sooner he could get some rest as well. The NCIS agent had made it to the front fender of the Lexus and seemed to be contemplating the short walk to the room. Harm sighed, it looked like he was going to get bit after all. Striding over to Gibbs, he grabbed the man's good arm, "C'mon."
Gibbs scowled but didn't say anything. Having to be helped into the room was infinitely less embarrassing than falling on his face before he reached the door. That had been a distinct possibility. He felt like hell and the ground wouldn't stop moving. Gibbs remained silent as Harm got him to a bed and took his jacket off. He ignored Harm's quietly muttered curse, instead gazing at the hotel room. They always looked the same no matter which chain was running it. The color schemes varied slightly but that was about it. Was there some bland distributor of mediocrity that had a monopoly on decorating every hotel in existence? Bed and breakfast places were more his style. At least they had personality...
"GIBBS!"
Gibbs blinked, startled out his reverie. He frowned, realizing Harm was right in front of him, "Don't yell, dammit, I'm not deaf." At least, that's what he thought he said. From the confused look on Rabb's face, it must not have been all that clear. He squinted at the aviator and decided to try something simpler, "What?" That was obviously more successful because Rabb looked relieved.
Harm put the first aid kit on the bed. He'd gone back to the car to get it and returned to find Gibbs in the exact same position that he'd left him, staring at a wall. He was worried but not surprised. The agent was more stubborn than even Mac on her worse days. If Gibbs were to expire at this very moment, Harm figured it would take three days before the man would actually allow it to happen. He needed to change the dressing and he wasn't about to startle Gibbs by pulling at it without some sort of warning. God knows what would happen but Harm could bet it wouldn't be anything pleasant. It had to be a Marine thing. Mac could be equally dangerous, something he had learned from painful experience.
Satisfied that he had as much of Gibbs' attention as was possible, he gestured towards the shoulder, "That needs to be changed. You're leaking."
"Fine." Inwardly, Gibbs was pleased with himself. He'd gotten that word out without any problems at all. Just like riding a bicycle... now that was a stupid phrase when you thought about it. There was nothing easy about riding a bike and if you hadn't done it in a long time, you tended to crash first thing. Easy as pie? Nah, that wasn't true either. Pies were tough. If you didn't get the crust just right, it didn't matter what the filling... "OW!" Gibbs glared at Rabb. What the hell was that fumble-fingered lawyer trying to do? Rip his shoulder off?
"Sorry," Harm glanced at the now irate NCIS agent. The dressing had been stuck and he'd finally just given it one swift yank. Now he was busily blotting at the fresh blood welling up out of the wound. Hopefully, it would slow down soon or he would have to haul Gibbs to a hospital. While his first aid kit was more extensive than the average store-bought variety, it wasn't equipped for dealing with bullet wounds for any length of time. Harm shook his head, trying to dispel the sense of foreboding that was crawling up his spine. What the hell was Gibbs sensing that would make the man put himself through this?
Beaufort Waterfront Beaufort, NC 0840 Local
Mac parked in a public lot right near the marina. By mutual agreement, Walters would be along later. He still had some friends stationed at Lejeune and he would check in with them to see what they might have known about Sgts. Davis and Huff's deaths. Mac got out of the car and grimaced slightly. The heat was already oppressive, today would be a scorcher. She looked over at Kate who was gazing out into the harbor, "Anything interesting out there?"
Kate glanced back with a grin, "You mean besides the pirate ship?"
"You're kidding," Mac followed her gaze and raised her eyebrows. A three-masted sailing ship was anchored on the far side of the harbor, close to the island across the way. It certainly looked like a pirate ship. She grinned back at Kate, "Blackbeard's paying a visit?" The two women started walking up Front Street.
"Maybe he's planning a soiree. His house is still here, you know." Kate pulled out the paper she jotted Elbert's office address on and scanned it quickly.
"Blackbeard's house?" Mac looked incredulous. "It's still standing?"
"It's still being lived in." Kate looked downright smug, "I hear it's haunted."
Mac rolled her eyes, "Oh please." She glanced at the name of the street they were passing and looked at the paper Kate was holding, "Mike's office should be up the next street."
Ten minutes later, both women breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the air-conditioned office. A middle-aged woman smiled at them from behind her desk, "May I help you?"
"Is Congresswoman Elbert in?" Mac smiled pleasantly in return.
"Oh no, I'm afraid not," the woman looked genuinely sorry, "Is it something I can help you with?"
Mac glanced at Kate before giving the woman a disappointed look. "No, no, Mrs. ...?"
"Dixon. Charlotte Dixon."
"... Mrs. Dixon," She gestured in Kate's direction, "We're down here on business and I saw on the news that Mike was in town. I was just hoping to catch up with her before we had to leave."
"Oh my, now that's a shame. You're friends, are you?" Charlotte fluttered a hand, "Miz Elbert's here for a sort of working vacation so she's not keeping any specific hours. She likes to come down and recharge her batteries. I understand that Washington can be a bit draining." She tapped her chin, "Ordinarily, I wouldn't tell just anyone this, but at this time of the day, you'll probably find her on her boat. She loves being out on the ocean." Charlotte gave them an encouraging smile, "Now if you don't mind waiting a tad, she'll probably pull into the marina around 11 or so and grab an early lunch. You could meet her there and go to lunch together."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you so much." Mac smiled in appreciation and glanced at Kate, "I'm sure we can find something to do for an hour or so."
Charlotte nodded happily, "Well, there's certainly quite a bit to do around here. Beaufort is a fascinating town. Our Maritime Museum is worth a look. They've got relics from the Queen Anne's Revenge on display. And you simply must visit the Old Burying Ground, it's the only cemetery on the National Registry of Historic Places."
"Yes, that does sound interesting," Mac kept smiling as she backed towards the door, herding Kate along with her. "Listen, if Mike calls in, would you not tell her we stopped by? I think it'd be fun to really surprise her for once. I'm sure you know how hard that is to do."
"I'm sure I do," Charlotte gave them a conspiratorial wink, "Mum's the word, ladies."
Once they were out on the street again, Kate looked over at Mac, "So, do we wait? Or do you want to head back to Morehead and Atlantic Beach? We could take another crack at the PD."
Mac looked thoughtful, "How about killing time at the library? They probably have the area newspapers' back issues on file. I'd like to see how much coverage these murders got."
Kate nodded, "That's an idea. Let's go back to the car so I can grab my laptop. They might have internet access and I can contact McGee and see if he's turned up anything he can send."
"Sounds like a plan." They went back to the car and fifteen minutes later, found the Beaufort public library. Like the rest of Beaufort in recent years, it had undergone a refurbishing and upgrade. It now sported the latest in computer technology. The head librarian was young and well-versed in her profession. It didn't take long for Mac to start browsing through the back issues of Morehead City's local newspaper. Some of it had been converted to digital files, the rest was still on microfiche. The library did have internet access so Kate was happily working on her laptop. She was instant messaging with McGee who had been busy digging up facts for her. In no time at all, it seemed, Mac looked up from the microfiche machine, "It's 1045, we probably ought to head down to the marina."
Kate glanced at the clock on her computer and looked over at Mac, "You didn't look at your watch. How'd you know the time?" She noticed before that Mac tended to be very precise about time but figured it was a military thing. This was the first that she'd seen the Colonel mention what time it was without the benefit of a clock.
Mac shrugged, surprised that Kate hadn't noticed it before, "I have a pretty accurate internal clock. I always know what time it is."
Kate stared at her for a long moment and then grinned, "You must really enjoy having to wait for things."
Mac grinned ruefully, "Every minute." She started gathering up her notes and the copies of articles she'd printed out. Once everything was packed up, they stopped at the main desk to pay for copies and the internet time and then headed for the car. Mac grimaced as the heat hit full force and looked over at Kate, "This is going to take some getting used to, how long did the weather guy say this heat wave would last?" Growing up around desert, high temperatures didn't bother her but it was tough getting used to the humidity. Even after nine years in DC, she still had the feeling that if you inhaled too deeply outside, you would drown.
"Three days, at least." Kate didn't look much happier. She much preferred cold climates over stifling heat and humidity. Climbing into the car, Kate cranked down the window and looked over at Mac, "Good God, turn on the AC before I melt completely."
"Yes ma'am," Mac chuckled, switching it on full blast. She pulled out and headed back to Front Street and the marina. Cruising down the street, she glanced over at Kate, "Damn, we should have asked what slip she'll be pulling into. I didn't realize how long the waterfront was."
Kate pointed to an empty stretch, "Why don't we park there? There's binoculars in the trunk. We can keep an eye out for any approaching boats and then go from there." Mac nodded and pulled into a spot. She left the car running so they could keep the AC on. She popped the trunk release and Kate retrieved the binoculars and then quickly climbed back in the car. She looked over at the Marine Colonel, "So what did you find in the newspapers?"
"Not much more than we already knew," Mac admitted. "There was an article about Mike in there. She was down here campaigning pretty vigorously for a couple of weeks prior to the killing and then two weeks after." She shifted a little, "She was down here again for two weeks when Huff was killed up near Lejeune. There's no record of her going to Jacksonville but it obviously wouldn't be hard." Mac sighed, "Somehow I doubt any of the local police would have interviewed her. We'll have to check into her whereabouts on that night. What did you find out?"
"Our missing politician is just that - missing. McGee couldn't turn up anything on him anywhere. He's like the original Invisible Man. No one ever bothered reporting him missing so the police have never been involved." Kate frowned, "With forensics these days, there are less and less John Does around unless someone made a concerted effort to make sure he couldn't be identified. I'm assuming that if he is dead, no one's ever found the body." She didn't mention that McGee had also given her a list of people who had died or disappeared that could be associated with Elbert. The parameters had been pretty loose - if they attended the same school, belonged to the same organization, gone to the same convention. With the amount of people involved, it was quite possible that the Congresswoman had nothing to do with any of it but Kate was determined to check each circumstance. Her gut was telling her that Elbert was the one but she needed hard facts. Vainly, she wished Gibbs was down here. He had almost a sixth sense about these things and she would have liked his input. Impossible, of course, he would be in the hospital for another three days and she was loath to bother him when there wasn't anything he could do.
"Hey," Mac interrupted Kate's musing, "There's a boat pulling in down there." Kate peered through the binoculars and chuckled. Mac looked at her curiously, "What?" Silently, Kate handed over the binoculars and gestured at the boat. Mac took a look and grinned as well. She glanced over at Kate, "Did I mention that Mike has a sense of humor?" She put the car in gear and they drove down to meet the owner of the 'Gerrymander'.
Mike dropped another bolster over the side and waved a thank-you at one of the men who had tied off her mooring lines. She glanced up when a gray sedan pulled up nearby and then took another look and sighed. Charlotte had ratted her out and now she would likely have to placate an irritated Marine. She wiped her hands on her jeans and stepped nimbly onto the dock. She was used to meeting problems head-on, a trait she knew that Mac shared. Elbert waved cheerfully as Mac and a shorter brunette got out of the car. That must be the NCIS agent, Caitlin Todd. Mike knew she was a former Secret Service agent and could be as formidable as the JAG attorney.
"Hey Mac, how are you?" She offered a hand to the other woman, "Michelle Elbert. You must be Kate. It's nice to finally meet you." She looked back at Mac and grinned, waving a hand expansively, "So what do you think? Isn't Beaufort a pretty little town? They've put a tremendous effort into renovation and it was worth every cent. I love coming down here. Are you two hungry? I like to get an early lunch and avoid some of the crowd." She gestured up the street, "Clawson's is pretty good although they've never served hushpuppies and I've never understood why. It's practically a staple down here." She pointed the other way, "The Spouter Inn is a bit of walk but worth it too. Food's very good. Do you have a preference? I'm starving. I don't know why, but I'm always hungry after I've been out on the ocean."
Mac and Kate blinked and glanced at each other, bemused by the barrage of information that Elbert had just thrown at them. "Mike, we need to talk." Mac gave the Congresswoman a stern look.
"I know," Mike assumed a serious look for a moment and then turned beseeching, "But could we please do it over lunch? I really do need to eat. How about Clawson's? It's close." Mac and Kate exchanged glances and then nodded. Mike smiled in relief, "Great. Let's go." She led the way down the street, waving to various people and acknowledging greetings. It was obvious that she was a familiar and popular figure in this small town.
They walked into the restaurant and Mike smiled at the young woman behind the counter. "Hey Bridgett, how's your mom doing?"
Bridgett smiled back, "Much better, Ms. Elbert, thanks for asking." She pulled out three menus, "Your usual table?"
Mike glanced back at Mac and Kate, "Actually, Bridgett, this will be sort of a working lunch. Can we get a table that's a little more private?"
"Sure," Bridgett glanced at her seating chart. "The rush hasn't started yet. There's no one up on the second floor. Would that be okay?"
"Great," Mike smiled and then they followed the young woman up the stairs. They sat down, gave Bridgett their drink orders and waited for her to leave. Elbert looked at the two women, "So I guess you're wondering why I'm down here?" Mac nodded and the Congresswoman looked a little sheepish, "I wanted to help. I know Chief Eckard over at Atlantic Beach. Born and bred down here, he can be a real piece of work at times. Did they give you the files you wanted or did they feed you that line about being 'misplaced'?"
"The files are 'missing'." Mac admitted. "But Mike... " She stopped, glancing at Kate. How do you tell a US Congresswoman that she can't help because she's a suspect?
Elbert tilted her head to one side, "'... you can't help because you're one of our suspects.'" She waved a hand at the expressions on Mac and Kate's faces. "Ladies, I'd have to be thick as a block of stone not to realize that you've been scrutinizing my office. That not only includes me but I know I've been in the vicinity of at least three killings." She smiled brightly, "I suppose that makes me number one on your hit parade."
Kate eyed her narrowly, this wasn't going how she'd expected. "Most people would be a little more upset to find themselves under suspicion of murder."
Mike raised an eyebrow, "I'm not 'most people'. Besides, it's not like I have to worry about this. It wasn't me." She directed her attention back towards Mac, looking more serious, "There's something else you should know. Karen called me last night. She said that Alan wanted to know where we both were and he seemed upset when he heard we were in North Carolina. He didn't come back from lunch." Elbert looked from Mac to Kate, "Alan's worked for me since I took office. I know he had a tough time growing up." She leaned forward a little and lowered her voice, "I'm a bit worried, to tell you the truth. I guess you knew he spent a year in a private clinic near Jacksonville? He was very upfront about it and I admired his courage in bringing it out into the open. Most people would hide something like that. I talked to his therapist and she assured me that he was fine." Mike scrubbed at her forehead, "I feel responsible. I never should have let him help with the investigation no matter how adamant he was that he could handle it. It was tough on everyone but I should have seen how it was affecting Alan."
Mac shot a quick look at Kate. This could put a whole different spin on the case. It certainly explained the missing time in Romblin's file as well as putting the man on the scene for the first two killings. She relaxed slightly, they'd have to check it out, of course, but this would make more sense. She felt relief and it wasn't just that she liked and respected the outspoken Congresswoman. From a legal standpoint, the lack of evidence would have made it damn impossible to even accuse Elbert. Even a fourth year law student could blow their case out of the water. All it would take to create 'reasonable doubt' would be to point to Mike and ask 'Why? Why would a prominent politician want to risk everything to kill not one but half a dozen obscure and less-than-honorable Marine sergeants?'
Kate couldn't help cursing inwardly. Getting Mac to see Elbert as their killer just got that much harder. This seemed entirely too pat, reminding her again of how convenient a scapegoat Romblin would be. The Congresswoman was smooth, without a doubt. More than that, she was personable, warm and funny. Kate could understand Mac's dilemma. Mike was a friend and how do you reconcile yourself to accusing a friend of murder? It would be like accusing Ducky or Abby.
The waitress arrived with their drinks just then and took their orders. The conversation turned to lighter topics. Mike had them both laughing at her stories of working in the asylum known as Washington, DC. For all that, Kate never lost sight of the fact that Elbert could be their murderer.
Morehead Hotel Morehead City, NC 2325 Local
Kate glanced up from her laptop, "The Congresswoman has an office in downtown Beaufort, no mention of a residence but that's not surprising." She looked back over at Mac, "So you think she's decided to lend a hand to our investigation?"
Mac shrugged uncomfortably, "I don't really know. She did predict that we'd have problems with the local PDs and she did offer to smooth the way but I told her not to bother." She absently rubbed her forehead where a headache was beginning to form, and then raised her hands, "I wouldn't put it past her. She rarely takes no for an answer if she really wants something. ...Dammit, I should have seen this coming."
Gunny and Kate exchanged glances. He looked at his watch and stood up, "Well, there's not much more we can do tonight and I owe my wife a phone call. What time shall I call on you ladies?"
Kate stifled a yawn, "I don't know... around 8 or so?" She looked over at Mac, "We can figure out where to go from here over breakfast. I think a visit to the Congresswoman is definitely in order." Dubby nodded, said good night and headed out the door. Kate got up and rummaged through her overnight bag. She pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen and lobbed it at Mac, "Take some and go to bed."
"Excuse me?" Mac caught the bottle and scowled.
"You heard me," Kate started gathering papers and putting them in her briefcase. She looked up at Mac and raised an eyebrow, "Don't deny you've got a headache. You get that crease between your eyebrows. Look, it's been a long day. I'm exhausted and I know I've had more sleep than you. Go to bed and we'll get a fresh start in the morning." She straightened up and put her hands on her hips, "Unless, of course, you lined up a hot date while you were out and about. If that's the case, then the guy better damn well have a friend." She closed her briefcase and looked up again, "A good-looking, well-to-do friend... with a yacht... and a New York penthouse... and a villa in France."
Mac folded her arms and tried not to grin, "Damn, I picked the wrong guy."
"Been there, done that," Kate headed for the bathroom, "I'm going to take a shower. You need to get in there?"
"No," Mac shook her head, "I have to call Harm yet. He's probably already asleep but I can leave a message." Kate nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Mac picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. As she expected, the answering machine picked up, "Hey Harm, it's me. Sorry I called so late but it's been a bit busy." She paused for a moment, "You'll never guess who turned up at the hotel... or maybe you will. Dubby's sticking to his fishing story and if this was your idea, Mister... then I owe you a thank you. Talk to you tomorrow. Good night."
Super 8 Goldsboro, NC 0135 Local
Harm came out of the office and got back in the car. He looked over at Gibbs, "A double on the first floor. It's around back." The NCIS agent nodded wordlessly. Harm wasn't surprised, he'd barely gotten two words out of the man in the last hour or so. At least he was still conscious. The last thing Harm wanted to do was to have to try and find a hospital in an unfamiliar town. He backed out of the space and cruised slowly around the building until he located the room number. Fortunately, the motel wasn't crowded and he was able to park right in front. Getting out, he grabbed their bags from the back and headed to the room. Unlocking the door, he tossed the bags on a bed and turned on the lights.
Going back to the doorway, Harm looked out to see how Gibbs was doing. He hadn't offered to help the agent initially for the simple reason that he didn't feel like having his head bitten off. On the other hand, the sooner he could get Gibbs into a bed, the sooner he could get some rest as well. The NCIS agent had made it to the front fender of the Lexus and seemed to be contemplating the short walk to the room. Harm sighed, it looked like he was going to get bit after all. Striding over to Gibbs, he grabbed the man's good arm, "C'mon."
Gibbs scowled but didn't say anything. Having to be helped into the room was infinitely less embarrassing than falling on his face before he reached the door. That had been a distinct possibility. He felt like hell and the ground wouldn't stop moving. Gibbs remained silent as Harm got him to a bed and took his jacket off. He ignored Harm's quietly muttered curse, instead gazing at the hotel room. They always looked the same no matter which chain was running it. The color schemes varied slightly but that was about it. Was there some bland distributor of mediocrity that had a monopoly on decorating every hotel in existence? Bed and breakfast places were more his style. At least they had personality...
"GIBBS!"
Gibbs blinked, startled out his reverie. He frowned, realizing Harm was right in front of him, "Don't yell, dammit, I'm not deaf." At least, that's what he thought he said. From the confused look on Rabb's face, it must not have been all that clear. He squinted at the aviator and decided to try something simpler, "What?" That was obviously more successful because Rabb looked relieved.
Harm put the first aid kit on the bed. He'd gone back to the car to get it and returned to find Gibbs in the exact same position that he'd left him, staring at a wall. He was worried but not surprised. The agent was more stubborn than even Mac on her worse days. If Gibbs were to expire at this very moment, Harm figured it would take three days before the man would actually allow it to happen. He needed to change the dressing and he wasn't about to startle Gibbs by pulling at it without some sort of warning. God knows what would happen but Harm could bet it wouldn't be anything pleasant. It had to be a Marine thing. Mac could be equally dangerous, something he had learned from painful experience.
Satisfied that he had as much of Gibbs' attention as was possible, he gestured towards the shoulder, "That needs to be changed. You're leaking."
"Fine." Inwardly, Gibbs was pleased with himself. He'd gotten that word out without any problems at all. Just like riding a bicycle... now that was a stupid phrase when you thought about it. There was nothing easy about riding a bike and if you hadn't done it in a long time, you tended to crash first thing. Easy as pie? Nah, that wasn't true either. Pies were tough. If you didn't get the crust just right, it didn't matter what the filling... "OW!" Gibbs glared at Rabb. What the hell was that fumble-fingered lawyer trying to do? Rip his shoulder off?
"Sorry," Harm glanced at the now irate NCIS agent. The dressing had been stuck and he'd finally just given it one swift yank. Now he was busily blotting at the fresh blood welling up out of the wound. Hopefully, it would slow down soon or he would have to haul Gibbs to a hospital. While his first aid kit was more extensive than the average store-bought variety, it wasn't equipped for dealing with bullet wounds for any length of time. Harm shook his head, trying to dispel the sense of foreboding that was crawling up his spine. What the hell was Gibbs sensing that would make the man put himself through this?
Beaufort Waterfront Beaufort, NC 0840 Local
Mac parked in a public lot right near the marina. By mutual agreement, Walters would be along later. He still had some friends stationed at Lejeune and he would check in with them to see what they might have known about Sgts. Davis and Huff's deaths. Mac got out of the car and grimaced slightly. The heat was already oppressive, today would be a scorcher. She looked over at Kate who was gazing out into the harbor, "Anything interesting out there?"
Kate glanced back with a grin, "You mean besides the pirate ship?"
"You're kidding," Mac followed her gaze and raised her eyebrows. A three-masted sailing ship was anchored on the far side of the harbor, close to the island across the way. It certainly looked like a pirate ship. She grinned back at Kate, "Blackbeard's paying a visit?" The two women started walking up Front Street.
"Maybe he's planning a soiree. His house is still here, you know." Kate pulled out the paper she jotted Elbert's office address on and scanned it quickly.
"Blackbeard's house?" Mac looked incredulous. "It's still standing?"
"It's still being lived in." Kate looked downright smug, "I hear it's haunted."
Mac rolled her eyes, "Oh please." She glanced at the name of the street they were passing and looked at the paper Kate was holding, "Mike's office should be up the next street."
Ten minutes later, both women breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the air-conditioned office. A middle-aged woman smiled at them from behind her desk, "May I help you?"
"Is Congresswoman Elbert in?" Mac smiled pleasantly in return.
"Oh no, I'm afraid not," the woman looked genuinely sorry, "Is it something I can help you with?"
Mac glanced at Kate before giving the woman a disappointed look. "No, no, Mrs. ...?"
"Dixon. Charlotte Dixon."
"... Mrs. Dixon," She gestured in Kate's direction, "We're down here on business and I saw on the news that Mike was in town. I was just hoping to catch up with her before we had to leave."
"Oh my, now that's a shame. You're friends, are you?" Charlotte fluttered a hand, "Miz Elbert's here for a sort of working vacation so she's not keeping any specific hours. She likes to come down and recharge her batteries. I understand that Washington can be a bit draining." She tapped her chin, "Ordinarily, I wouldn't tell just anyone this, but at this time of the day, you'll probably find her on her boat. She loves being out on the ocean." Charlotte gave them an encouraging smile, "Now if you don't mind waiting a tad, she'll probably pull into the marina around 11 or so and grab an early lunch. You could meet her there and go to lunch together."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you so much." Mac smiled in appreciation and glanced at Kate, "I'm sure we can find something to do for an hour or so."
Charlotte nodded happily, "Well, there's certainly quite a bit to do around here. Beaufort is a fascinating town. Our Maritime Museum is worth a look. They've got relics from the Queen Anne's Revenge on display. And you simply must visit the Old Burying Ground, it's the only cemetery on the National Registry of Historic Places."
"Yes, that does sound interesting," Mac kept smiling as she backed towards the door, herding Kate along with her. "Listen, if Mike calls in, would you not tell her we stopped by? I think it'd be fun to really surprise her for once. I'm sure you know how hard that is to do."
"I'm sure I do," Charlotte gave them a conspiratorial wink, "Mum's the word, ladies."
Once they were out on the street again, Kate looked over at Mac, "So, do we wait? Or do you want to head back to Morehead and Atlantic Beach? We could take another crack at the PD."
Mac looked thoughtful, "How about killing time at the library? They probably have the area newspapers' back issues on file. I'd like to see how much coverage these murders got."
Kate nodded, "That's an idea. Let's go back to the car so I can grab my laptop. They might have internet access and I can contact McGee and see if he's turned up anything he can send."
"Sounds like a plan." They went back to the car and fifteen minutes later, found the Beaufort public library. Like the rest of Beaufort in recent years, it had undergone a refurbishing and upgrade. It now sported the latest in computer technology. The head librarian was young and well-versed in her profession. It didn't take long for Mac to start browsing through the back issues of Morehead City's local newspaper. Some of it had been converted to digital files, the rest was still on microfiche. The library did have internet access so Kate was happily working on her laptop. She was instant messaging with McGee who had been busy digging up facts for her. In no time at all, it seemed, Mac looked up from the microfiche machine, "It's 1045, we probably ought to head down to the marina."
Kate glanced at the clock on her computer and looked over at Mac, "You didn't look at your watch. How'd you know the time?" She noticed before that Mac tended to be very precise about time but figured it was a military thing. This was the first that she'd seen the Colonel mention what time it was without the benefit of a clock.
Mac shrugged, surprised that Kate hadn't noticed it before, "I have a pretty accurate internal clock. I always know what time it is."
Kate stared at her for a long moment and then grinned, "You must really enjoy having to wait for things."
Mac grinned ruefully, "Every minute." She started gathering up her notes and the copies of articles she'd printed out. Once everything was packed up, they stopped at the main desk to pay for copies and the internet time and then headed for the car. Mac grimaced as the heat hit full force and looked over at Kate, "This is going to take some getting used to, how long did the weather guy say this heat wave would last?" Growing up around desert, high temperatures didn't bother her but it was tough getting used to the humidity. Even after nine years in DC, she still had the feeling that if you inhaled too deeply outside, you would drown.
"Three days, at least." Kate didn't look much happier. She much preferred cold climates over stifling heat and humidity. Climbing into the car, Kate cranked down the window and looked over at Mac, "Good God, turn on the AC before I melt completely."
"Yes ma'am," Mac chuckled, switching it on full blast. She pulled out and headed back to Front Street and the marina. Cruising down the street, she glanced over at Kate, "Damn, we should have asked what slip she'll be pulling into. I didn't realize how long the waterfront was."
Kate pointed to an empty stretch, "Why don't we park there? There's binoculars in the trunk. We can keep an eye out for any approaching boats and then go from there." Mac nodded and pulled into a spot. She left the car running so they could keep the AC on. She popped the trunk release and Kate retrieved the binoculars and then quickly climbed back in the car. She looked over at the Marine Colonel, "So what did you find in the newspapers?"
"Not much more than we already knew," Mac admitted. "There was an article about Mike in there. She was down here campaigning pretty vigorously for a couple of weeks prior to the killing and then two weeks after." She shifted a little, "She was down here again for two weeks when Huff was killed up near Lejeune. There's no record of her going to Jacksonville but it obviously wouldn't be hard." Mac sighed, "Somehow I doubt any of the local police would have interviewed her. We'll have to check into her whereabouts on that night. What did you find out?"
"Our missing politician is just that - missing. McGee couldn't turn up anything on him anywhere. He's like the original Invisible Man. No one ever bothered reporting him missing so the police have never been involved." Kate frowned, "With forensics these days, there are less and less John Does around unless someone made a concerted effort to make sure he couldn't be identified. I'm assuming that if he is dead, no one's ever found the body." She didn't mention that McGee had also given her a list of people who had died or disappeared that could be associated with Elbert. The parameters had been pretty loose - if they attended the same school, belonged to the same organization, gone to the same convention. With the amount of people involved, it was quite possible that the Congresswoman had nothing to do with any of it but Kate was determined to check each circumstance. Her gut was telling her that Elbert was the one but she needed hard facts. Vainly, she wished Gibbs was down here. He had almost a sixth sense about these things and she would have liked his input. Impossible, of course, he would be in the hospital for another three days and she was loath to bother him when there wasn't anything he could do.
"Hey," Mac interrupted Kate's musing, "There's a boat pulling in down there." Kate peered through the binoculars and chuckled. Mac looked at her curiously, "What?" Silently, Kate handed over the binoculars and gestured at the boat. Mac took a look and grinned as well. She glanced over at Kate, "Did I mention that Mike has a sense of humor?" She put the car in gear and they drove down to meet the owner of the 'Gerrymander'.
Mike dropped another bolster over the side and waved a thank-you at one of the men who had tied off her mooring lines. She glanced up when a gray sedan pulled up nearby and then took another look and sighed. Charlotte had ratted her out and now she would likely have to placate an irritated Marine. She wiped her hands on her jeans and stepped nimbly onto the dock. She was used to meeting problems head-on, a trait she knew that Mac shared. Elbert waved cheerfully as Mac and a shorter brunette got out of the car. That must be the NCIS agent, Caitlin Todd. Mike knew she was a former Secret Service agent and could be as formidable as the JAG attorney.
"Hey Mac, how are you?" She offered a hand to the other woman, "Michelle Elbert. You must be Kate. It's nice to finally meet you." She looked back at Mac and grinned, waving a hand expansively, "So what do you think? Isn't Beaufort a pretty little town? They've put a tremendous effort into renovation and it was worth every cent. I love coming down here. Are you two hungry? I like to get an early lunch and avoid some of the crowd." She gestured up the street, "Clawson's is pretty good although they've never served hushpuppies and I've never understood why. It's practically a staple down here." She pointed the other way, "The Spouter Inn is a bit of walk but worth it too. Food's very good. Do you have a preference? I'm starving. I don't know why, but I'm always hungry after I've been out on the ocean."
Mac and Kate blinked and glanced at each other, bemused by the barrage of information that Elbert had just thrown at them. "Mike, we need to talk." Mac gave the Congresswoman a stern look.
"I know," Mike assumed a serious look for a moment and then turned beseeching, "But could we please do it over lunch? I really do need to eat. How about Clawson's? It's close." Mac and Kate exchanged glances and then nodded. Mike smiled in relief, "Great. Let's go." She led the way down the street, waving to various people and acknowledging greetings. It was obvious that she was a familiar and popular figure in this small town.
They walked into the restaurant and Mike smiled at the young woman behind the counter. "Hey Bridgett, how's your mom doing?"
Bridgett smiled back, "Much better, Ms. Elbert, thanks for asking." She pulled out three menus, "Your usual table?"
Mike glanced back at Mac and Kate, "Actually, Bridgett, this will be sort of a working lunch. Can we get a table that's a little more private?"
"Sure," Bridgett glanced at her seating chart. "The rush hasn't started yet. There's no one up on the second floor. Would that be okay?"
"Great," Mike smiled and then they followed the young woman up the stairs. They sat down, gave Bridgett their drink orders and waited for her to leave. Elbert looked at the two women, "So I guess you're wondering why I'm down here?" Mac nodded and the Congresswoman looked a little sheepish, "I wanted to help. I know Chief Eckard over at Atlantic Beach. Born and bred down here, he can be a real piece of work at times. Did they give you the files you wanted or did they feed you that line about being 'misplaced'?"
"The files are 'missing'." Mac admitted. "But Mike... " She stopped, glancing at Kate. How do you tell a US Congresswoman that she can't help because she's a suspect?
Elbert tilted her head to one side, "'... you can't help because you're one of our suspects.'" She waved a hand at the expressions on Mac and Kate's faces. "Ladies, I'd have to be thick as a block of stone not to realize that you've been scrutinizing my office. That not only includes me but I know I've been in the vicinity of at least three killings." She smiled brightly, "I suppose that makes me number one on your hit parade."
Kate eyed her narrowly, this wasn't going how she'd expected. "Most people would be a little more upset to find themselves under suspicion of murder."
Mike raised an eyebrow, "I'm not 'most people'. Besides, it's not like I have to worry about this. It wasn't me." She directed her attention back towards Mac, looking more serious, "There's something else you should know. Karen called me last night. She said that Alan wanted to know where we both were and he seemed upset when he heard we were in North Carolina. He didn't come back from lunch." Elbert looked from Mac to Kate, "Alan's worked for me since I took office. I know he had a tough time growing up." She leaned forward a little and lowered her voice, "I'm a bit worried, to tell you the truth. I guess you knew he spent a year in a private clinic near Jacksonville? He was very upfront about it and I admired his courage in bringing it out into the open. Most people would hide something like that. I talked to his therapist and she assured me that he was fine." Mike scrubbed at her forehead, "I feel responsible. I never should have let him help with the investigation no matter how adamant he was that he could handle it. It was tough on everyone but I should have seen how it was affecting Alan."
Mac shot a quick look at Kate. This could put a whole different spin on the case. It certainly explained the missing time in Romblin's file as well as putting the man on the scene for the first two killings. She relaxed slightly, they'd have to check it out, of course, but this would make more sense. She felt relief and it wasn't just that she liked and respected the outspoken Congresswoman. From a legal standpoint, the lack of evidence would have made it damn impossible to even accuse Elbert. Even a fourth year law student could blow their case out of the water. All it would take to create 'reasonable doubt' would be to point to Mike and ask 'Why? Why would a prominent politician want to risk everything to kill not one but half a dozen obscure and less-than-honorable Marine sergeants?'
Kate couldn't help cursing inwardly. Getting Mac to see Elbert as their killer just got that much harder. This seemed entirely too pat, reminding her again of how convenient a scapegoat Romblin would be. The Congresswoman was smooth, without a doubt. More than that, she was personable, warm and funny. Kate could understand Mac's dilemma. Mike was a friend and how do you reconcile yourself to accusing a friend of murder? It would be like accusing Ducky or Abby.
The waitress arrived with their drinks just then and took their orders. The conversation turned to lighter topics. Mike had them both laughing at her stories of working in the asylum known as Washington, DC. For all that, Kate never lost sight of the fact that Elbert could be their murderer.
